Incandescent bulbs are slowly being phased out in favor of more efficient lighting sources. This has led to an increased use of compact fluorescent bulbs which are more efficient than incandescent bulbs, but which tend to contain dangerous gasses, such as mercury. Compact fluorescent bulbs are also affected by ambient temperature and fail reach their peak brightness in colder conditions. Additionally, many people find the color temperature of light emitted by compact fluorescents to not be aesthetically pleasing for many applications, such as household lighting in kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms; some commercial applications; and the like. Due to the nature of compact fluorescent bulbs, the bulbs always have a frosted appearance, which also tends to reduce the aesthetic appeal of compact fluorescent bulbs. The use of halogen bulbs has also increased; however due to the high temperatures at which halogen bulbs operate they are not highly efficient and may be a fire or burn hazard.
Recent advances in manufacturing light emitting diodes (LEDs) combined with the efficiency and long lifetime of LEDs have led to an increase in the availability and affordability of LED lamps and other LED lighting devices. LED lamps and lighting devices offer advantages over compact fluorescent bulbs including longer lifetime and the absence of dangerous gasses. Also, LED lamps and lighting devices may be configured to emit light at a wide variety of color temperatures.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for LED lighting devices that allow users to take advantage of the wide variety of color temperatures at which LEDs may emit light.